Image Text:

BURKINA FASO: Six people have died in attack on a church in the West African country (Image: Google Maps)

A PRIEST and five other people have been killed after gunmen attacked a church in Dablo, Burkina Faso.

Between 20 and 30 attackers stormed the building and then burned down the church, the BBC reported.

The attack took place as worshippers celebrated Mass at around 9am.

"Armed individuals burst into the Catholic church... They started firing as the congregation tried to flee,” Ousmane Zongo, the mayor of Dablo told AFP news agency.

Zongo added: "There is an atmosphere of panic in the town. People are holed up in their homes, nothing is going on. The shops and stores are closed. It's practically a ghost town.”
In addition to burning down the church, the gunmen also set fire to a number of shops and a cafe.

Zongo described the atmosphere in the town in the aftermath of the attack as one of panic.

“People are holed up in their homes, nothing is going on. The shops and stores are closed. It’s practically a ghost town,” AFP reported he said.

The attack is the third to take place on a church in five weeks.

In April, at least six worshippers were killed at a Protestant church in the town of Silgadji. In the same month, four people were killed after an attack on a Catholic church, the BBC reported.

Hostage rescue

Burkina Faso has been battling increasing attacks from terrorists in recent months.

Last week, two French special forces soldiers were killed during a raid to rescue hostages.

Four people, including two French tourists, were rescued and four kidnappers killed during the raid.

President Emmanuel Macron has announced that the soldiers will be honoured with a national tribute on Tuesday.

Read every story in our hardcopy newspaper for free by downloading the app.